Atmospheric forcing of the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

Amador, Jorge A.; Alfaro, Eric J.; Lizano, Omar G.; Magaña, Víctor

doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2006.03.007

Cited by 294 publications

(420 citation statements)

References 98 publications

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“…The main large-scale processes that affect climate in the region at interannual time scales are ENSO, Caribbean and Atlantic climatic processes such as the Caribbean LowLevel Jet (CLLJ; Amador 1998Amador , 2008 or Tropical North Atlantic (TNA; climatic variations, the location of the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ, , the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO; Mantua et al 1997) and other features. Amador et al (2006Amador et al ( , 2016 present a more detailed review of the main controls that affect the climate in Central America.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Observed (1970–1999) climate variability in Central America using a high-resolution meteorological dataset with implication to climate change studies

2016

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High spatial resolution of precipitation (P) and average air temperature (Tavg) datasets are ideal for determining the spatial patterns associated with large-scale atmospheric and oceanic indexes, and climate change and variability studies, however such datasets are not usually available. Those datasets are particularly important for Central America because they allow the conception of climate variability and climate change studies in a region of high climatic heterogeneity and at the same time aid the decisionmaking process at the local scale (municipalities and districts). Tavg data from stations and complementary gridded datasets at 50 km resolution were used to generate a high-resolution (5 km grid) dataset for Central America from 1970 to 1999. A highresolution P dataset was used along with the new Tavg dataset to study climate variability and a climate change application. Consistently with other studies, it was found that the 1970-1999 trends in P are generally non-significant, with the exception of a few small locations. In the case of Tavg, there were significant warming trends in most of Central America, and cooling trends in Honduras and northern Panama. When the sea surface temperature anomalies between the Tropical Pacific and the Tropical Atlantic have different (same) sign, they are a good indicator of the sign of P (Tavg) annual anomalies. Even with non-significant trends in precipitation, the significant warming trends in Tavg in most of Central America can have severe consequences in the hydrology and water availability of the region, as the warming would bring increases in evapotranspiration, drier soils and higher aridity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Observed (1970–1999) climate variability in Central America using a high-resolution meteorological dataset with implication to climate change studies

2016

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“…2), muestran las condiciones típicas que deberían encontrarse en las aguas tropicales: poca variación estacional y gradientes fuertes en la capa superficial (Knauss, 1978). Algunos, como la temperatura y la salinidad, están relacionados con procesos, tanto oceánicos, como atmosféricos en esta zona (Hofmann et al, 1981;Fiedler, 2002;Amador et al, 2006). Así como el viento local genera corrientes marinas importantes en esta zona, también genera afloramientos, los cuales modifican la estructura vertical de las aguas (Fiedler, 2002;Kessler, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

“…estas latitudes (Kanuss, 1978;Amador et al, 2006), también generan gradientes fuertes en la distribución espacial, como a través de la columna de agua. Otros procesos son principalmente mecanismos bioquímicos (Paulmier, Ruiz-Pino, Garçon, & Farías, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

“…Adicionalmente se realizó una revisión de literatura del PTE en una serie de artículos en un Número Especial (volumen 69) de Progress in Oceanography (Kessler, 2006;Fiedler, & Talley, 2006;Amador, Alfaro, Lizano, & Magaña, 2006;Willett, Leben, & Lavín, 2006), basado en una recopilación de datos de las últimas décadas. Es claro a través de todos estos trabajos, que la dinámica de esta zona está ligada a los fuertes vientos que atraviesan a lo largo de los pasos topográ-ficos de Tehuantepec al sur de México, el Golfo de Papagayo en el Pacífico norte de Costa Rica y el Golfo de Panamá.…”

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“…Se intensifica entre Julio y Noviembre, y se debilita entre Diciembre y Enero. Aunque mantiene una circulación superficial ciclónica en balance geostrófico, su ciclo anual está relacionado con la variabilidad de los vientos en esta zona, asociada a la migración de la ZCIT (Fiedler, 2002;Amador et al, 2006). Domos térmicos tropicales existen en el Atlántico del Este (el Domo de Guinea y el Domo de Angola) y en el Pacífico Occidental (Domo de Mindanao) (Kashino, Ishida, & Hosada, 2011).…”

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Distribución espacio-temporal de la temperatura, salinidad y oxígeno disuelto alrededor del Domo Térmico de Costa Rica

Lizano

2016

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Spatio-temporal distribution of temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen around the Costa Rica Thermal Dome. The Costa Rica Thermal Dome (CRTD) is an oceanographic phenomenon in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). This is a region of very high biological productivity, resulting in high concentrations of phytoplankton, sea birds, and large pelagics, such as tunas, dolphins and whales. Few publications have looks at the station variability of the water column of the CRTD. Here, horizontal and vertical distribution of some oceanic parameters was analyzed to show the dynamics of ETP, its influence on the CRTD, climatic variations and relationships that justify their distributions. Climatological monthly mean data of Ocean Data view (ODv) from 1900 to 2009 were used to compile profiles of the water column's temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen, and their spatial distributions around the Costa Rica Thermal Dome (CRTD). Monthly variations of these parameters depend on the intensity and extent of ocean-meteorological phenomena in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), which are related to the north-south migration of Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The monthly climatic variation of these variables is analyzed down to 200 m depth. Increased climate variability is found in the water column at stations north and east of the CRTD. The two stations north of the CRTD, closer to the coast, are the ones most affected by the wind in front of the Gulf of Papagayo and where the greatest monthly upwelling variation occurs in this region. The distribution and concentration of dissolved oxygen depends on the ocean-atmospheric dynamics. Oxygen is consumed by respiration and organic matter oxidation around CRTD. Moreover, this is one of the regions of the tropical oceans where an Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) exist, which is related also to poor water circulation or lack ocean ventilation. Sources of dissolved oxygen are linked with sub-surface currents coming from the west and from the south of the geographic equator. Rev. Biol. Trop. 64 (Suppl. 1): S135-S152. Epub 2016 February 01.

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Seasonal precipitation patterns along pathways of South American low-level jets and aerial rivers

2014

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[1] We study the seasonal dynamics of the eastern Pacific (CHOCO) and Caribbean lowlevel jets (LLJ), and aerial rivers (AR) acting on tropical and subtropical South America. Using the ERA-Interim reanalysis , we show that the convergence of both LLJs over the eastern Pacific-western Colombia contributes to the explanation of the region's world-record rainfall. Diverse variables involved in the transport and storage of moisture permit the identification of an AR over northern South America involving a midtropospheric easterly jet that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans across the Andes, with stronger activity in April to August. Other major seasonal AR pathways constitute part of a large gyre originating over the tropical North Atlantic, veering to the southeast over the eastern Andes and reaching regions of northern Argentina and southeastern Brazil. We illustrate the distribution of average seasonal precipitation along the LLJs and AR pathways with data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011), combined with considerations of CAPE, topography, and land cover. In addition, the theory of the biotic pump of atmospheric moisture (BiPAM) is tested at seasonal time scales, and found to hold in 8 out of 12 ARs, and 22 out of 32 forest-covered tracks (64% in distance) along the ARs. Deviations from BiPAM's predictions of rainfall distribution are explained by the effects of topography, orography, and land cover types different from forests. Our results lend a strong observational support to the BiPAM theory at seasonal time scales over South American forested flat lands.

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Atmospheric forcing of the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

Cited by 294 publications

References 98 publications

Observed (1970–1999) climate variability in Central America using a high-resolution meteorological dataset with implication to climate change studies

Observed (1970–1999) climate variability in Central America using a high-resolution meteorological dataset with implication to climate change studies

Distribución espacio-temporal de la temperatura, salinidad y oxígeno disuelto alrededor del Domo Térmico de Costa Rica

Seasonal precipitation patterns along pathways of South American low-level jets and aerial rivers

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